ZAZ:I'm not sure I can even get five. How many customers, offered only the top three varieties, would refuse to buy an apple out of loyalty to their favorite? We had an article describing how that is Trader Joe's general policy: only stock a few kinds of each thing to cut overhead.

Many of these varietals won't ever likely be destined for widespread distribution through supermarket chains, but that isn't the point. Just cultivating them again and selling them through farmer's markets is enough to make sure that they don't ever completely disappear. There's enough demand from the foodie crowd to rescue a lot of heirloom crops and livestock, and anything that results in increased agricultural biodiversity in the face of an increasingly corporate agricultural industry is a good thing.

I am dumbfounded as to why the red "delicious" apple dominates the market so well. Red delicious apples, frankly, SUCK. They are mealy, mushy, and have no acidity or flavor other than sweet. Simply awful apples, I've never had a firm tasty red delicious. They're bad for eating, and bad for baking. Fujis, Pink ladies, and honeycrisps, on the other hand... why don't these apples dominate the market? I just don't get it.

Aarontology:If my only options are red delicious or granny smith, more than likely I won't be buying apples.

I grew up eating only those, because that's what was available. So I never really liked apples that much. I thought they were OK, but nothing I just went crazy over. Then a few weeks ago, I tried some Honeycrisp and couldn't believe how good they were. Now I have to have apples every time I go to the grocery, and I usually try any new kind I see. I hate that I missed out all those years!